Pruning shears



octo L. J. BARRETT Pumses nmms Filed FOb.. 27. 1925 Patented @et 13, i925.

tssmm OFFICE.

LEON J. BARRETT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. i

PRUNING sHnARs.

`Application filed February 2'?, 1925. Serial No. 12,169.

To all w72 om t may concern `Be it kno-wn that l', Laon J. BARRETT, a citizen ot the United States, residing at lVorcester, in the county ot' Vilorcester and State ot' Massachusetts. have invented a new and useful Pruning Shears, ot which the 'following is a specification.

This invention relates to a pair ot pruning shears ot the type in which there are two handles adapted to be grasped in the fingers ot' one hand and the blades are mounted on the ends ot the handles and substantially in alignment with them, usually calle-d hand pruning shears. I

The principal object. of the invention is to provide a most e'iective means whereby as the shears are closed together one blade will slidewith respect to the other tor the purpose of securing` a slicing' action to assist in the cutting of the limb.

The invention also involves a construction by which the means for moving one shearblade with respect to the other is located between them where, when they are closed, it "is entirely out ot' the way and does no-t add to the bulkiness ot the instru-- ment. and in tact, serves as a stopfieor prcventing the closing o1 the handles too near together. y

The invention also involves a simple and improved `means Jt'or locking the shears in .closed position. y

`lwleterence is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which p l Fig. 1 is a side view ot a pair ot' pruning i shears constructed in accordance with this invention and shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is an edge view `ot the same; and Fig. I3 is a side view in open position.

I have shown the invention as applied to a pair othand pruningshe'ars having two handles 10 and 11 and continuous with them two blades 12 and 13. The handles 10 and 11 are rounded on their outer-faces to lit the hand. The blade 12 is integral with the handle 11 but the blade 13 of tool steel is separate from the handle 10, preferably being` xed on b y screws 14, or in any other desired way. The handle 11. may be said to end in a solid wall 15 and the handle 10 is provided with a. stop 16 adapted to abut against it to constitute a positive stop against the closing ot' the shears beyond the line on which they cut.

On the blade 12 is located a stud 17 having a head 18. This stud is fixed on the blade bya nut on one end and a shoulder inside as is Well understood, and it has a cylindrical part fitting in a. slot 2O in the handle 10 or blade 13. This slotis located longitudinally with respect to 'thatblade That is, its long dimension is substantiall parallel with the cutting edge of the blade and also with the handle 10. This slot and stud constitute the pivot ot' the shears about which the blancs swing n ith respect to each other. l On-the handle 11 is a pivot stud 21, on which is pivoted a link 22. This link is also pivoted by a stud 23 to the handle 10. As shown, the link extends treni a.` point near the pivot stu-d 17 ou the handle'll to a point adjacent to the outer eed ol the handle 10. A spring 2st having one end liked to the handle 1G surroinids the stud 23 and is fixed at the other end 26 to the link 22. This spring normally acts `on the link to hol-d 'the shears in thc open position, shown in Fig. 3, and when the shears are closed together it is against the resistance of this spring. f y

In operation it willr be obvious that When the shears startte close from the position shown in Fig. 3, the stud 23, swinging about the stud 21, will Cause the handle 10 to slide backwardly and therefore will cause the blade 13 to move back toward its pivot in the direction ot' the slot 20. `This produces a slicing cut which will materially reduce the ltorce with which it is necessary to close the shears in order to produceany good cuttingeffect. Also it the shears get wedged against the wood it is much easier to open them than without this arrangement.

`This slicing action continues until the shears are entirely closed, as shown in Fig. 1, when the slot 20 is brought back so that its end engages the stud. It will be understood of course that further opening of the shears from the position shown in Fig. 3 would bring the other end of the slot against the stud when they are wide open. This slot therefore constitutes at each end a stop for the further opening or closing of the shears. Furthermore, when the shears are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the link 22 is contained between the two handles parallel with both of them and preferably lills the ent-ire space between them so that it itself constitutes a stop. It will be seen also that on account of this construction the means for screw 32 having a head 33. This screw engages on the back side in a slide 34 which has flanges that are guided in longitudinal notches 35 in the opposite edges -of the link 22. On this slide there is a projecting tooth 36 which, when the parts are in closed position, can be moved along by hand to engage the lug 30, as shown in Fig. 1 and positively locks the shears against being opened. In spite of the sliding action this constitutes a positive locking means, because the parts cannot slide when in this position.

This screw head 33 can be turned with a screw driver or a jack-knife to prevent the disengagement of the locking means but when it is loosened the slide moves easily. Preferably thereJ is a fiat concave spring 37 under the head of the screw to present friction against the locking means getting out of place while using the shears.

It will be seen that this is a very simple and inexpensive shear to make, although it cannot be made to compete with the cheapest grades. It is intended to produce a high class shear without making it unduly expensive. AIt is well protected against the parts getting out of position, the parts are all simple, and it occupies very little space and does not require the user to learn any new method of operating. Its great advantage is that it produces a true sliding cut for slicing a limb which greatly assists in the operation of cutting it off.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single form of the invention I am aware of the fact that modifications can be madetherein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. There-v fore I do not wish to be limited in these respects but what I do claim isz- 1. In a hand pruning shear, the combination with a pair of crossing handles, one of them having a slot arranged longitudinally with respect to the cutting edge and the other having a stud extending into the slot, of a link extending from a point near the stud on one handle to a point near the outer end of the other handle and pivotally connected with bothv for causing a sliding motion of one with respect to the other when they are opened or closed, said link being located entirely in the space between the two handles, whereby it does not form a projection from the surfaces of the shears.

2. In a pair of hand shears, the combination of a pair of handles and blades fixed thereon, one handle having a. locking lug, one handle having a slot and the opposite blade having a stud passing through said slot for guiding the two parts with respect to each other, of a link extending from one handle near the stud to the opposite end of the other handle and pivoted to both, and a slide on saidL link movable longitudinally of it and having means for engaging the lug on one of the handles to hold the parts y locked in one position.

3. In a hand pruning shear, the combination with a pair` of crossing handles, one of them having a slot arranged longitudinally with respect to the cutting edge and the other having a stud extending into the slot,

of a link extending from a point near the stud on one handle to a point near the outer end of the other handle and pivotally connected with both said link being located in the space between the two handles, whereby it does not form a projection from the surfaces of the shears, and constituting means for preventing the handles moving toward each other beyond a certain point and the two handles also having stops thereon adapted to come into engagement at the time both handles press against the link, thus constituting two sets of stops.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature.

v LEON J. BARRETT. 

